Liturgy Pacific is the on-line presence of Richard Geoffrey Leggett, Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver and Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. Here you will find sermons, comments on current Anglican and Lutheran affairs and reflections on the need for progressive orthodox Christians to re-claim our place on the theological stage.

4.10 Hear, my child, and accept my
words, that the years of your life may be many.11 I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the
paths of uprightness.12 When
you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.13 Keep hold of instruction; do
not let go; guard her, for she is your life.14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in
the way of evildoers.15
Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.16 For they cannot sleep unless
they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have
made someone stumble.17 For
they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.18 But the path of the righteous
is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks
be to God.

The Psalm

Psalm
119.25-32 from Songs for the Holy One.

Refrain
(sung twice):Holy One, teach us your way, and help us walk in it.

My life is stuck in the dust of the grave;

restore
my life as you promised.

I
tell you everything I have done.

You answer!Teach me your laws.

Make me understand the intent of your
precepts

so
I may rejoice in your wonders.

My
life flows away in grief!

Sustain me, as you promised!

Refrain:Holy
One, teach us your way, and help us walk in it.

Remove all false ways from me,

Favour
me with your teaching.

I
have chosen the path of fidelity.

Your commandments I have taken to
heart.

Firmly I observe your decrees, Holy One;

do
not let me be disgraced!

Earnestly
I follow your commandments,

for you enlarge my understanding!

Refrain:Holy
One, teach us your way, and help us walk in it.

The Second Reading

A reading from the First Letter of Peter (2.2-10).

2.2 Like newborn infants, long
for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation — 3
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious
in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built
into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6
For it stands in scripture:“See, I am
laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes
in him will not be put to shame.”

7
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The
stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” 8
and

“A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock
that makes them fall.”They stumble
because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,
in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light.10
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks
be to God.

Hymn before the Gospel

‘Alleluia’Common Praise #715 (‘Alleluia’
refrain only)

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And
also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John (14.1-14).

Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

14.1
[Jesus said,] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are
many dwelling places. If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am,
there you may be also. 4 And
you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do
not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me. 7
If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen
him.”

8
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been
with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in
the Father and the Father is in me? The
words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in
me does his works. 11 Believe
me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then
believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one
who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do
greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my
name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for
anything, I will do it.”

It
is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all
places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, for the
glorious resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb who
gave himself to take away our sin, who in dying has destroyed death, and in
rising has brought us to eternal life.And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the
resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and
archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending
hymn:

Blessed
are you, O God of the universe.Your
mercy is everlasting and your faithfulness endures from age to age.

Praise
to you for creating the heavens and the earth.Praise to you for saving the earth from the waters of the flood.Praise to you for bringing the Israelites
safely through the sea.Praise to you
for leading your people through the wilderness to the land of milk and honey.Praise to you for the words and deeds of
Jesus, your anointed one.Praise to you
for the death and resurrection of Christ.Praise to you for your Spirit poured out on all nations.

In
the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again,
after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink,
saying:This cup is the new covenant in
my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.Do this for the remembrance of me.

With
this bread and cup we remember our Lord’s passover from death to life as we
proclaim the mystery of faith:Christ has died.Christ is risen.Christ will come again.

O
God of resurrection and new life:Pour
out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine.Bless this feast.Grace our table with your presence.Come,
Holy Spirit.

Reveal
yourself to us in the breaking of the bread.Raise us up as the body of Christ for the world.Breathe new life into us.Send us forth, burning with justice, peace,
and love.Come, Holy Spirit.

With
the ever-blessed virgin Mary, blessed Joseph, blessed Faith and your holy ones
of all times and places, with the earth and all its creatures, with sun and
moon and stars, we praise you, O God, blessed and holy Trinity, now and
forever.Amen. [iv]

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About Me

Richard is a presbyter of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster with a number of responsibilities. He is Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver. Richard is also the Principal Consultant for Liturgy Pacific, a worship consultancy providing educational seminars and resources for congregational life and ministry. After 23 years as a member of the faculty of Vancouver School of Theology, Dr Leggett became Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies in 2010. Since 1989 Dr Leggett has served on various national committees of the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran churches in Canada and is a regular participant in the work of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation. From 2010 to 2016 he was a Member of the Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada.